''The Monster of Florence: A True Story'' is a 2008
true crime book by American thriller writer
Douglas Preston
Douglas Jerome Preston (born May 31, 1956) is an American journalist and author. Although he is best known for his thrillers in collaboration with Lincoln Child (including the ''Agent Pendergast'' series and ''Gideon Crew'' series), he has also ...
and Italian journalist
Mario Spezi. It relates to
a series of murders that occurred between 1968 and 1985 and involved couples who were killed while having sex in their cars in deserted lanes around the city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in the Italian region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
.
Background
Preston, an author of fiction and non-fiction books, moved to Florence with his family and became interested in the Monster of Florence case because the murders had taken place in the surrounding countryside. Mario Spezi, co-author of the book, is a journalist who specialized in the Monster of Florence case for many years. Preston and Spezi became friends and then collaborated on articles and books about the case. Both became figures in the case when the Italian prosecutors came to suspect them and accuse them of crimes including
obstruction of justice and potentially being
accomplice
Under the English common law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even if they take no part in the actual criminal offense. For example, in a bank robbery, the person who points the gun at the teller ...
s to murder. Preston published an article about the case in American magazine ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' in 2006.
Summary
It recounts the authors' personal experiences while investigating the case and their experience of being subject to allegations by Italian prosecutors. Preston and Spezi have been outspoken critics of the tactics and theories pursued by police and prosecutors in the Monster of Florence case.
The book is stated as being an English translation of Spezi and Preston's Italian language book,
Dolci Colline di Sangue/nowiki>">:it:Dolci_colline_di_sangue">
Dolci Colline di Sangue/nowiki> (Sweet Hills of Blood) published two years earlier by Preston's Italian publisher, Sonzogno in 2006. Spezi wrote the majority of the Italian manuscript.
Film version
In late 2008, film studio United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
announced its purchase of the film rights to ''The Monster of Florence: a True Story''. In 2010 the project was acquired by Fox 2000 and is in development, with George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
attached as producer as well as to play the role of Preston.Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...
will play the role of Spezi.Anders Thomas Jensen
Anders Thomas Jensen (born 6 April 1972) is a Danish screenwriter and film director. His film ''Election Night (1998 film), Election Night'' won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Life and career
Jensen was born in Frederi ...
.
See also
*Censorship in Italy
In Italy, freedom of press is guaranteed by the Constitution of 1948. This freedom was specifically established in response to the Censorship in Italy which occurred during the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini (1922–1945). Censorship continue ...
*Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence ( it, Il Mostro di Firenze) is the name commonly used by the Italian media for an unidentified serial killer active within the Province of Florence between 1968 and 1985. The Monster murdered fourteen victims, usually you ...
*Magdalen Nabb
Magdalen Nabb (16 January 1947 – 18 August 2007) was a British author, best known for the Marshal Guarnaccia detective novels.
Born in Church, a village near Accrington in Lancashire as Magdalen Nuttal, she was educated at the Convent Grammar S ...
* Zodiac killer
References
External links
Official SiteThe Monster of Florence
- Douglas Preston article in ''The Atlantic'', July/August 2006
The Journalist and the Murderer
- Interview with Douglas Preston in ''The Atlantic'', July/August 2006
''The Boston Globe'': "Trapped in His Own Thriller"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monster Of Florence, The
2008 non-fiction books
History of Florence
Collaborative non-fiction books
Non-fiction books about serial killers